Objective To observe the clinical effect of electroacupuncture and Shenmai injection combined with conventional western therapy as treatments for the sudden deafness.Methods A total of 186 patients with sudden deafness were randomly divided into two groups. Each group included 93 patients. The control group was treated with the pipe-expanding and anti-inflammatory, but the treatment group was treated with electroacupuncture and Shenmai injection based on the control group. Both groups were treated for 11 days.Before and after treatments, the regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was detected. The MADSEN was used to detect ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potential (oVEMP), including N1-Pl amplitude, N 1-Pl incubation period, N1-Pl wave duration and extraction rate of oVEMP.Results The recovery rate of control group was 63.4% (59/93) and total effective rate was 90.3% (84/93), which was 88.6% (75/93) and 97.8% (91/93) in combined treatment group, and there was significant difference between the 2 groups (χ2=5.923,P<0.05). After 11 days of treatment, the Tinnitus (17.2%vs. 30.1%,χ2=7.152), vertigo and survival rate (15.1%vs. 21.5%, χ2=6.023) in combined treatment group showed significantly lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). The threshold (39.59 ± 5.36 dBHLvs. 45.85 ± 5.08 dBHL,t=2.903) in combined treatment group showed significantly lower than those in the control group (P=0.034). The N1 amplitude (10.62 ± 0.84μVvs. 7.14 ± 0.59μV;t=3.259,P=0.017), P1 amplitude (11.79 ± 0.91μVvs. 9.90 ± 0.82μV;t=2.871,P=0.037), extraction rate of oVEMP (95.7%vs. 81.7%;χ2=7.963,P=0.012) in combined treatment group showed significantly higher than those in the control group. The N1 incubation period (7.86 ± 0.82 msvs. 9.78 ± 1.24 ms;t=3.729,P=0.009) and Pl incubation period (6.57 ± 0.77 msvs. 9.39 ± 1.15 ms;t=3.064,P=0.025) in combined treatment group showed significantly lower than those in the control group.Conclusions The Electroacupuncture and Shenmai injection combined with conventional western therapy could improve blood circulation produce a synergistic therapeutic effect on damaged tissue, improve cochlear hair cells and vestibular nerve regeneration, and repaire the functions.

The fine composition of volatile oils in a raw peppermint in July were analysed by combined means of programmed temperature capillary gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS).20 compounds were separated and identified.The main constituents were (1α,2α,5β)-menthol (16.88%),(1α,2β,5β)-menthol (74.98%),cis-menthone(3.84%) and (2R-cis)-menthone (1.25%).In the whole July mint there were 4 groups of isomeric compound,their molecular formula were C10 H16 (5 components),C10 H18 O (2 components),C10 H20 O (2 components) and C15H24(8 components),respectively.

Objective: To explore and modify the isolation method for mouse intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes. Methods: Epithelium mucosae of mouse small intestine was incubated in iced bath and shaked in PBS containing DTT. The cell suspension was obtained after filtration with 80 and 400- screen mesh trap valve in turn. The yield, viability and purity of intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes were observed to estimate the feasibility. Results: About (5.6±0.7)×10～6 intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes were obtained from every 20cm samll intestine. The viabilty of intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes was (90.46±5.71)% and the purity was (92.21±5.20)%. Conclusion: Compared with other reported isolation methods, the modifled method is convenient and esay to handling.The yield, viability and purity are high enough to be used for intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes studies.

Objective To study the adhesive characters of Lactobacillus to enterocyte-like HT-29 cells.Methods A HT-29 cell culture was employed to investigate the adherent ability of Lactobacillus.Bacterial suspension and HT-29 cells were co-incubated at 37℃ for 1h.The cells with adherent bacteria were Gram-stained,and then examined microscopically under oil immersion.The pH of the medium,bacterial growth phase,co-incubation time,bacterial concentration,D-mannose and type of host cells,which were involved in the process of adherence of Lactobacillus to enterocyte-like HT-29 cells,were also investigated.Results The adherent level increased substantially for Lactobacillus reuteri JCM1081 as the pH decreased from 6.0 to 4.0.Maximum adherence occurred within 90min and remained stable until the end of incubation.The bacterial concentration exerted a certain influence on the adherence of Lactobacillus reuteri JCM1081 to HT-29 cells,and it seemed to be concentration dependent.Maximum adherence occurred in the concentration of 109cfu/ml and remained stable until the end of incubation.Lactobacillus strain that grew into stationary phase showed higher ability to adhere to HT-29 cells than that in logarithmic phase.The addition of D-mannose dramatically decreased the level of Lactobacillus adherence.The Lactobacillus strain adhered in higher levels to the enterocyte-like cells or gastric epithelium cells than other cell origins,and the adhesion of Lactobacillus showed host cells specificity.Conclusion The adhesive characters observed with Lactobacillus suggested that adhesive properties are species and host specific.The pH,bacterial growth phase,co-incubation time,bacterial concentration and D-mannose may influence the adhesion of Lactobacillus to enterocyte-like HT-29 cells.

Objective To observe the effect of carvedilol on cardiac function and heart rate variability(HRV) in patients with congestive heart failure(CHF) . Methods Sixty-three patients with CHF were randomly divided into two groups. 33 cases (carvedilol group) were given Carvedilol titrated from low dose to target dose in addition to standard therapy for CHF. The cardiac fuction and HRV of all patients were examined before and after 6 months therapy. Results After 6-month therapy, LV end-diastolic dimension (LVEDD) and LV end-systolic dimension (LVESD) in carvedilol group were significantly lower than those in control group (P

Objective To investigate the effect of live Lactobacillus acidophilus on Caco-2 cells to release pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and IL-8.Methods Caco-2 cells were cultured for 2 h with live Lactobacillus acidophilus strain 1950103-12 and examined by reverse transcription-PCR for IL-6 and TNF-α induced IL-8 expression.An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to quantitate secreted IL-6 and IL-8.Results Lactobacillus acidophilus strain 1950103-12 had no ecffect on the mRNA expression and production of IL-6 and IL-8 in the Caco-2 cells.A significant mRNA expression and production of IL-6 and IL-8 by the Caco-2 cells were detected after exposure to TNF-α.Lactobacillus acidophilus strain 1950103-12 down-regulated IL-6 and IL-8 mRNA expression and inhibited constitutive synthesis by Caco-2 cells of IL-6 and IL-8 that induced by TNF-α.Conclusion Lactobacillus acidophilus strain 1950103-12 has potent direct anti-inflammatory activity on human epithelial cells.

Sepsis is the leading cause of mortality in critically ill patients.Studies indicate that immune suppression in sepsis is more often associated with poor outcome.Dendritic cells may contribute largely to the development of immune suppression during sepsis.This article reviews the emerging data indicating the key role of dendritic cells in sepsis induced immune suppression.A deeper insight into the dendritic cell changes during sepsis may provide a powerful weapon against sepsis.

Objective: A marked deficiency of glutamine in clinical critical illness is correlated with mortality in the intensive care unit, and intestinal glutamine transport was reported to be impaired in late sepsis. Berberine was reported to protect against the intestine injury, and improve the survival rate in sepsis. We designed this study to gain further knowledge of the intestinal glutamine transport in early and late sepsis, and to find out whether beberine pretreatment has some effect on glutamine transport in sepsis. Methods: Berberine (50 mg/kg) was given intragastrically once a day for 5 days, and sepsis was induced by cecal ligation and puncture on day 5. The small intestinal samples were collected at 0, 2, 6, 12, 24 h. Intestinal brush border membrane vesicles were prepared by Mg~(2+) aggregation-differential centrifugation techniques, and brush border glutamine transport was studied by a rapid filtration technique. Results: Under control condition, Na~+-dependent glutamine transport accounted for about 90% of the total transport. The relative contributions of ATA2, ATB~(0,+), B~0AT1 were about 12, 25, 63%, respectively. Septic rats showed an early increase and a late decrease in intestinal glutamine transport. ATA2 had an earlier increase in the early stage, while B0AT1 had no significant increase. Berberine pretreated group had a relative less increase in early phase and a less decrease in late phase compared to sepsis group. Conclusion: Rat intestinal glutamine transport showed an early increase and a late decrease in sepsis, and berberine pretreatment could attenuate the impairment of glutamine transport in sepsis. It may provide some information for sepsis treatment.

Objective: To determine lipid rafts on the membrane of T cells is the functional microdomains for IL-2? receptor. Methods: Flow cytometric analysis was performed for expression of CD25(IL-2R?) on the surface of T cells. Lipid rafts were isolated by discontinuous sucrose density gradient ultracentrifugation. The localization of IL-2R? in fractions isolated from sucrose density gradients was determined by immunoblotting and detected by chemiluminescence. Results: cells were stimulated with IL-2 and expression of CD25(IL-2R?) on the surface of T cells was 37.08%. Immunoblot analysis of fractions from sucrose gradients revealed that a large proportion of IL-2R? was localized in lipid rafts. Conclusions: lipid rafts is the functional microdomains for IL-2? receptors.

Objective: To determine whether EPA exert effectively immunosuppressive function by altering distribution of IL-2R in membrane subdomains. Method: The human Jurkat E6-1 T cells were cultured in EPA-supplemented medium and the cells treated with stearic acid served as control. The effect of EPA on CD25 (IL-2? receptor) expression on the surface of T cells was investigated by flow cytometry. The lipid rafts were isolated by discontinuous sucrose density gradient ultracentrifugation. The localization of IL-2R?, IL-2R?, and IL-2R?c in fractions isolated and the effect of EPA treatment were determined by immunoblot and chemiluminescence. Results: EPA suppressed CD25 expression on the surface of T cells. IL-2R?, IL-2R?, and IL-2R?c were associated with lipid rafts of T cells, and these subunits were partly displaced from lipid rafts of EPA-treated T cells. Conclusion: Lipid rafts are functional subdomains for IL-2R signaling. EPA enrichment modifies distribution of IL-2R?, IL-2R?, and IL-2R?c in lipid rafts and EPA plays immunosuppressive roles probably by partly removing IL-2R from lipid rafts.